Thursday, August 17, 2017

All six Maritimes Division teams will be taking part in the three day tournament. This is the second year for the event.

All six teams will dress lineups with little to no QMJHL experience. Saint John's lineup, for example, will likely feature the likes of Ian Smallwood and Alexandre Lafreniere - both of whom played with the Sea Dogs last year - along with newcomers Brendan Sibley and Aiden MacIntosh.

The Sea Dogs had 32 players take part in rookie camp this past week at Harbour Station. The team has not publicly announced any cuts yet.

Saint John's first game is on Friday at 4 p.m. against the Halifax Mooseheads. Here is the full tournament schedule:

The Winterhawks also added Paul Gaustad as assistant coach/player development.

“We are excited to add both Danny and Paul to our staff,” said Portland head coach and Dartmouth native Mike Johnston. “I have known Danny for a long time and consider him to be one of the best junior coaches in Canada. We are very fortunate to add him to our staff. Paul is a Winterhawks alumni who has an impressive resume as a player and is now transitioning into coaching. This year he will work with our forwards while organizing a development plan for each player on our protected list.”

Flynn surprisingly announced he was leaving the Sea Dogs on July 28 to pursue other opportunities. The 59-year-old coached the Sea Dogs for two seasons, leading the club to a President Cup title last year.

Both Flynn and Johnston are Dartmouth natives and both have coached Atlantic University Sport hockey. Johnston is a former head coach of the UNB Varsity Reds while Flynn previously led the StFX X-Men.

Flynn joins one of the top organizations in junior hockey. The Winterhawks are essentially the London Knights of the WHL. They are consistently among the league's best and are able to attract top talent.

This will be Flynn's first coaching position in the WHL. He has spent time in both the OHL and QMJHL.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

The team will begin on-ice sessions on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Harbour Station with a scrimmage. The Dogs will hold a second scrimmage at 2 p.m. All scrimmages are open to the public and free to attend.

Thursday will follow the same schedule. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the team will take part in the QMJHL's Rookie Showcase in Moncton.

34 players will attend this year's rookie camp. According to a press release, "the list includes 18 forwards, 12 defencemen and four goalies. Twenty players were drafted by the Sea Dogs while one was acquired in a trade."

Here is the full roster (click to enlarge):

Lynden Breen, Tim Noble, Patrick Moynihan and Robert Griffin were the only 2017 Sea Dogs draft picks not included on the camp roster. Any or all could be holding out for NCAA reasons - Breen is a Maine commit while Moynihan and Griffin are American - and it will be interesting to see if any show for main camp.

The Sea Dogs' 2017 CHL Import Draft picks - Czech winger Ostap Saffin and Czech defenceman Radim Salda - were also not included, but that could be for a variety of reasons. Halifax's import pick, Filip Zadina, was not included on the Mooseheads' roster.

Rookie camp participants will look to earn an invite to main camp, which begins next week.

"We are so pleased to bring this rivalry to our great fans in the Fredericton region," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in the release. "We have been fortunate to have players from this area become captains and key contributors to our success over our history, and there is a strong Sea Dogs flavour to the Varsity Reds' roster as well.”

The game - which will be a Sea Dogs home contest - was not part of the team's pre-season schedules originally. The match should feature near finalized rosters with the game taking place one week before Saint John's regular season opener.

Both the Sea Dogs and Wildcats have played at the Aitken Centre previously - but never against each other. Moncton has played at the venue various times over the years while Saint John last played there during the 2006 pre-season (RIP Lewiston Maineiacs).

Here are some ticket details, via the V-Reds:

Tickets for the game go on sale at 10:00am Friday, August 18th, on-line at: www.vreds.ca

In person sales begin Monday, August 21st, at the Aitken Centre box office, at 11:00am.

Tickets will cost $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, students and youth.

The Varsity Reds men's hockey program will feature five Sea Dogs alumni this year: forwards Mike Thomas, Oliver Cooper and Stephen Anderson along with defenceman Matt Murphy and Olivier LeBlanc.

The Sea Dogs will play three games at this weekend's Rookie Showcase in Moncton followed by five "real" pre-season games. The first "real" game will be next Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Harbour Station against Bathurst.

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Veleno captained Team Canada to a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic in the tournament's gold medal game on Saturday. The Saint John Sea Dogs forward scored what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the second period.

Jared McIsaac, Kevin Bahl and Jack McBain also scored for the Canadians, who suffered just one loss - a shootout defeat to Russia - during the tournament. Olivier Rodrigue made 18 saves in the win.

Veleno, who became the first player to play for Canada twice at the Ivan Hlinka, finished the tournament with two goals and five assists in five games. He had four assists in four games last year.

The strong performance by Veleno will likely help boost his stock for the 2018 NHL Draft and increase his chances of making Canada's world junior team. But there's a lot of time between now and when those events take place.

Gursoy is the first free agent signing news to come out of Sea Dogs land this off-season. The team is expected to release its training camp roster early this week ahead of the Moncton Rookie Challenge.

An 18-year-old forward from LaSalle, Ont., Gursoy put up strong numbers with the GOJHL - a junior 'B' league - Chatham Maroons last season, posting 30 goals and 32 assists in 50 regular season games. He added six goals and five assists in nine playoff matches.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Joe Veleno and Team Canada earned their first win of the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup on Tuesday in Slovakia.

Veleno recorded two assists in Canada's 5-1 victory over Finland, improving the team's record to 1-0-1. It was a strong showing for the Canadians after falling 4-3 in a shootout to Russia on Monday.

Canada scored three power play goals on Tuesday. Both of Veleno's assists came on the man advantage, setting up Calen Addison's second period goal and Jack McBain's third period marker.

Veleno, Canada's captain, now has three assists in two games at this year's tournament. He had four assists in four games last year.

Canada will play their final preliminary round game on Wednesday at 2 p.m. against Slovakia. According to the Hockey Canada website, "a win over the tournament co-hosts would send the Canadians to the semifinals on Friday."

Friday, August 4, 2017

The Saint John Sea Dogs unveiled single game ticket details this week.

There aren't a lot of changes this year after the huge overhaul the ticket structure went through last summer. Harbour Station has been divided into four pricing zones and the team's home games are designated either best value, regular or premium.

Here's a look at the 34-game home schedule:

Only six matches are designated as "premium games," three of which are against the rival Moncton Wildcats. Eight games are designated as "best value games," all of which will played mid-week. The remaining games are "regular."

Tickets to best value games in Zone D are just $9 for adult, senior and student and $8 for youth.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno has been named to Canada's roster for the annual Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup tournament.

It's the second straight year Veleno has been named to the under-18 squad. Last year, the 17-year-old recorded four assists in four games.

The 22 players who will represent Canada from Aug. 7-12 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia were announced on Tuesday.

Veleno was one of eight QMJHL players named to the team, a promising number for a league that could use a strong 2018 NHL Draft. Joining the Sea Dogs forward are Gabriel Fortier (Baie-Comeau), Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Halifax), Anderson MacDonald (Sherbrooke), Noah Dobson (Bathurst), Jared McIsaac (Halifax), Alexis Gravel (Halifax) and Olivier Rodrigue (Drummondville).

Of note, all three Maritime provinces are represented on this year's team: McIsaac (Truro, NS), Dobson (Summerside, PEI) and MacDonald (Quispamsis, NB).

Team Canada, who has been holding a selection camp in Calgary over the past few days, will open the tournament next Monday against Russia.

Williamson has over a decade of head coaching experience in the OHL, leading the Barrie Colts from 2004 to 2010 and the Niagara IceDogs from 2010 until his firing in 2016 (he was also the general manager in Niagara). He reached the OHL playoffs every season and appeared in the league final twice, losing both times.

Meanwhile, Jon Goyens, the head coach of the Lac St-Louis Lions, is expected to interview for the position, according to a report.

The Lions have been one of the best midget AAA programs in the country over the past five years or so. The club has developed a significant amount of QMJHL talent, including Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

With Danny Flynn departing, the search has begun for a new Saint John Sea Dogs head coach.

Under usual circumstances, the Sea Dogs would have plenty of candidates. But the team finds itself in an interesting and perhaps difficult situation. Most teams at all levels have their coaching staffs in place by now, and many of the people in place may not be willing to depart so close to the season starting. There's no doubt some qualified candidates are still looking for work at the moment, but that list is probably a lot shorter than it was a couple months ago.

Saint John plays its first game of the QMJHL Rookie Challenge in less than a month (Aug. 18).

In the press release sent out yesterday, the team said it "has begun the search for a new coach to lead and develop a young and exciting roster."

Flynn signed a three-year contract with the Sea Dogs in May 2015 but leaves after two seasons. He was hired under the Wayne Long/Darrell Young regime.

“We were looking forward to Danny returning for a third season but support him in this decision,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. “We thank him and wish him the very best in the next stage of his career.”

Thank you to Danny Flynn for two great seasons with the @SJSeaDogs! We wish him the very best in the next stage of his career.

Mayer, now 27, has been playing in Switzerland since the 2014-15 season. Prior to that, the Swiss native spent four seasons in the Montreal Canadiens system.

The third overall pick in the 2007 CHL Import Draft, Mayer spent two seasons with the Sea Dogs from 2007 to 2009, recording a 42-39 record to go along with a 3.41 goals against average and a .893 save percentage.

Veleno was the second highest ranked player from the QMJHL behind Halifax Mooseheads defenceman Jared McIsaac who was ranked 11th.

The ranking is one of the lowest Veleno has received so far (although not many have been released). In The Hockey News' annual Draft Preview edition, the exceptional forward was ranked third overall. Last month, The Hockey Writers listed Veleno as one of the top prospects available for next year's draft.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

In a very unscientific poll/survey, the people of Saint John are very much in favour of slapping a corporate name on Harbour Station.

While it's often unpopular for a well-known entertainment venue name to be replaced/adjusted by a corporate name, the fine folks of the Port City - at least those who commented on this 97.3 The Wave Facebook post - are very much in favour of the initiative.

These people are, of course, correct, and the added revenue from a sponsorship agreement would be a huge boost for the building. Just look at the Halifax Metro Centre, which has undergone several much needed renovations since Scotiabank purchased its naming rights.

One thing that is perhaps complicating Harbour Station's future is Moncton's new facility, which is set to open next year. Moncton will no doubt attract a lot more shows - perhaps more than Saint John - with its new building, which could certainly have a negative impact on Harbour Station. Along with that, you have to think Moncton is also interested in finding a naming rights purchaser.

Richer, who was named associate coach and assistant general manager of the Aces earlier this summer, replaces Josh Hepditch who has joined the Moncton Wildcats has an assistant coach.

“For a young coach, Phil brings a ton of experience and lots of enthusiasm to our organization,” said Aces president John Hyslop in a release.

“Josh did a great job continuing to build our foundation and now Phil and his staff will help push us to the next level. He’s going to be a great fit,” added Hyslop.

Richer had previously been an assistant coach with the MHL's Miramichi Timberwolves and head coach of the NB/PEIMMHL's Miramichi Rivermen.

Richer was a fourth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2007 QMJHL Entry Draft and played in 45 games with the club over two seasons. The 26-year-old also played a season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar during his QMJHL career.

Replacing Richer as assistant coach and assistant general manager is Justin Bowers.

The 25-year-old has played in North America since 2008-09. He spent a lot of his professional career bouncing between the East Coast Hockey League and American Hockey League - which included some stints in the NHL with the Washington Capitals.

During the 2014-15 season, Stan Galiev blossomed into one of the most talented scorers in the American Hockey League, scoring 25 goals in 67 games with the Hershey Bears. After years of struggles and injuries in the minors, Galiev finally earned a dream promotion to the NHL. But Galiev’s momentum would be halted, tallying only one goal and being a frequent scratch during parts of two seasons in Washington.

It's too bad Galiev was never able to stick in the NHL, but it seemed as though his biggest flaw in Saint John - consistency - troubled him in professional hockey as well. There were games during his Sea Dogs career when he looked like the best player in junior hockey. Then there were games where he was barely noticeable.

Despite consistency issues, Galiev put up some good numbers in Saint John. The first overall pick in the 2009 CHL Import Draft, the forward played all three seasons of the Sea Dogs' glory days from 2009 - 2012. He recorded 65 goals and 79 assists in 151 regular season games and added 34 goals and 46 assists in 57 playoff games. He averaged nearly a goal-per-game (16 goals in 17 games) during the 2012 playoffs.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Saint John Sea Dogs will be honouring some of their past this season.

In a press release issued today, the team announced it will be creating a "Sea Dogs Hall of Fame" in 2018. The first inductee will be announced next month at a charity golf event.

From the release:

Following the Challenge, a dinner will be held at Britt's Rockwood Park where the Sea Dogs Foundation will announce the first inductee in the new "Sea Dogs Hall of Fame" in 2018. A formal induction ceremony and the opening of the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame are scheduled for next year.

No further details on the Hall of Fame have been announced.

The Sea Dogs, despite having played just 12 seasons, have such an impressive history that it makes sense for the team to create something to show it off. The team has a trophy case and columns of fame on the concourse, but that's about it.

You also have to wonder when the Sea Dogs will start retiring jersey numbers to accompany all of the championship banners hanging inside Harbour Station. It's worth noting that no player has worn Alex Grant's No. 20, Mike Thomas' No. 17 or Jonathan Huberdeau's No. 11 since their departures (Grant is the only player in team history to wear No. 20).

Today's Hall of Fame news was part of an announcement about the team hosting its first annual "Sea Dogs Par 3 Celebrity Challenge," which will be held Aug. 18 at Rockwood Park Golf Course. A number of Sea Dogs alumni will be taking part in the event, including NHLers Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu.

More information on how to take part in the event, prizes and alumni can be found here.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The American Hockey League released its full 2017-18 schedule on Tuesday.

Some potentially key dates for Saint John Sea Dogs alumni are:

The Belleville Senators (Thomas Chabot, Chris DiDomenico and Paul Boutilier) begin their inaugural season on Oct. 6 in Laval against the Rocket (Simon Bourque). The Sens won't have their home opener until Nov. 1 due to building renovations.

The Syracuse Crunch (Mathieu Joseph) open their season on Oct. 6 in Rochester.

The Charlotte Checkers (Spencer Smallman, Julien Gauthier and Callum Booth) open the year in Hartford on Oct. 6. The Checkers will play in the Eastern Conference this season, so there will (hopefully) be lots of opportunities to see Sea Dogs alumni going head-to-head.

The Rockford IceHogs (Matthew Highmore and Nathan Noel) begin play on Oct. 7 in Cleveland.

The Ontario Reign (Bokondji Imama) visit San Antonio on Oct. 7 to begin their season.

The Providence Bruins (Jakub Zboril) host Springfield in their season opener on Oct. 7.

The Sea Dogs had very few alumni playing full time in the AHL this past season, with Alex Grant (Providence), Stanislav Galiev (Hershey) and Brett Gallant (Cleveland) the only real mainstays. Stephen MacAulay (Springfield) and Eric Gelinas (San Antonio) also appeared in quite a few games during the 2016-17 season.

Predicting the IceHogs

The blogs projects Matthew Highmore to centre the team's second line while Nathan Noel will centre the third. The team's forward unit is highlighted by Alex DeBrincat, who probably has a chance to crack the Blackhawks' lineup this year.

More campers

As expected, the roster includes Sea Dogs forwards Matthew Highmore and Nathan Noel. Highmore signed with the club this past season while Noel was picked by the 'Hawks in the 2016 NHL Draft.

The camp roster also includes Montreal native Jake Massie, a 2014 fifth-round pick of the Sea Dogs who never reported to the team. Massie, who was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Draft and later traded to Chicago, spent this past season at the University of Vermont.

While playing hockey with the Saint John Seadogs I fell and suffered a concussion. My only symptom following the incident was a headache. For the first few weeks after I fell, I avoided looking at screens and trimmed down my schedule to a few events each week to be able to take time to recover. Although the headache initially abated, after I attended public events my headache would reoccur. We then scaled back my public events significantly to avoid any reoccurrence, reduced the number of meetings I had been scheduled to attend, and limited the time I had to spend focussed on screens.

For the past several days, I have been symptom free. With the concurrence of my doctor, I am gradually adding more things to my schedule. I appreciate the messages of support and good wishes I received from those who were aware of my injury. I have learned valuable insight from this incident – take care of your health and don’t try to keep up with highly skilled 20 year old hockey players.

Gallant has been a frequent visitor at Sea Dogs games and events since taking office in 2014.

Chabot was labelled one of the best players not playing in the NHL for much of the second half of the 2016-17 season. He started last year in Ottawa, appearing in just one game before being assigned back to Saint John.

His time in the QMJHL is definitely over, so it'll be the NHL or the AHL's Belleville Senators for Chabot in 2017-18.

His 2016-17 resume includes a QMJHL championship, world junior silver medal, QMJHL defenceman of the year, QMJHL playoff MVP, top defenceman at the world juniors and world junior MVP.

“I like his attitude and I very much like the detailed reports I’ve had in about his skill set," said Panthers head coach and Oromocto native Corey Neilson in a press release. "He can play centre or right wing and we see him on the first line leading the offence."

After spending four seasons professionally in the AHL and ECHL, the Fredericton native spent last season in Sweden.

Phillips played with the Sea Dogs from 2009 - 2012 and was a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Gagne signs in Sweden

Former Sea Dogs defenceman Kevin Gagne is also staying overseas as well.

After spending the past two seasons with the Swedish club Mora IK, Gagne has signed with Rogle BK - also in Sweden - for the upcoming year. Rogle plays in the SHL, the highest tier of hockey in Sweden.

John Moore recently caught up with Gagne in Halifax.

The 25-year-old recorded seven goals and 25 points in 51 games with Mora last season and was named the Allsvenskan league defenceman of the year. He helped the club get promoted to the SHL for the 2017-18 season.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Carolina Hurricanes development camp was a popular destination for Saint John Sea Dogs players this year.

Goaltender Callum Booth and forwards Spencer Smallman and Julien Gauthier all attended the camp, which took place June 28 - July 1 in Raleigh. All three were draft picks of the Hurricanes and spent the final half of the 2016-17 season playing together in Saint John.

“I first met them here at camp [last year], and we became good friends at camp, we hung out,” Smallman told the North State Journal last week. “I kind of mentioned that to our GM in Saint John and see if we could maybe work out a deal to get them in Saint John, and fortunately it worked out. We had a great team and ultimately we got the championship.”

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Stanislav Galiev finds himself in a strange situation.

Galiev announced a few days ago that he planned on returning to Russia to play the 2017-18 season in the KHL, citing the challenges of finding ice time in the Washington system and his desire to play in the Olympics as reasons why.

Unfortunatly for Galiev, returning to Russia won't be that simple.

According to reports, Galiev's KHL rights are owned by the troubled Dynamo Moscow franchise. As you may have heard, the KHL and Russian Hockey Federation ruled on July 4 that 42 players who were under contract with the Dynamo are now unrestricted free agents.

Then there’s Galiev. According to Shevchenko, Galiev’s KHL rights still belong to the old Dynamo. It appears Galiev was a part of Dynamo Moscow’s organization as a youth player. Galiev’s status was not reviewed by the KHL Disciplinary Committee either. As a result, Galiev and the other two players may neither practice with the new Dynamo Moscow, nor move on to another team.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Some details about this year's Rookie Challenge in Moncton have been revealed.

The event will take place Aug. 18-20 at Moncton's Superior Propane Centre and feature all six Maritimes Division teams. Similar tournaments will be held in Shawinigan, Sherbrooke and Chicoutimi and feature the Quebec clubs.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will take on the Halifax Mooseheads at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18 and will then face the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. The Sea Dogs will also play on Sunday, Aug. 20 against a to-be-determined opponent.

Game times for Aug. 20 will be 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The schedule will be determined based on tournament standings from the first two days of action.

Moncton hosted the same event last season but was called the Hub City Showcase.

The Sea Dogs will play four "real" pre-season games following the rookie tournament, the first being an Aug. 23 game at Harbour Station against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

According to The Hockey News, meetings between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads will be well attended by scouts this season.

In the magazine's annual Draft Preview edition, Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno was ranked third overall for the 2018 NHL Draft, just behind Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts and Rasmus Dahlin of Sweden. Meanwhile, the magazine's top 10 also included Halifax Mooseheads defenceman Jared McIssac at No. 9 and forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx at No. 10.

The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads meet on opening night this year, which takes place Sept. 21 at Harbour Station.

Veleno, the first exceptional status player in QMJHL history, is projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2018 draft by most publications that have released rankings. This will, obviously, be a big season for the 17-year-old.

"I don't know if his game has come where a lot of people expected offensively since he's battled injuries, but he's a guy that I'm excited to watch next year," Central Scouting's Troy Dumville - who once worked with the Sea Dogs - told NHL.com last month.

"Veleno is a highly intelligent kid with a good compete level and a lot of confidence."

SB Nation's college hockey blog also released some 2018 rankings last month (although they seemingly forgot to include Veleno in their 'A' listing section). "Veleno isn’t likely to be the top overall pick, but has played well enough that he’ll likely be in the conversation for the top ten," wrote Chris Dilks.

Veleno has recorded 83 points in 107 regular season QMJHL games. He's added 18 points - 14 of them goals - in 35 playoff matches. It'll be interesting to see how Veleno rises or falls in the 2018 rankings throughout the the year.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

LeBlanc spent two-and-a-half seasons with Saint John before being traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles during the 2014-15 trade period. He spent the remainder of his QMJHL career with the Eagles, a career that came to an end this past season.

“He’s a player who has been a leader wherever he’s played and he exudes character,” said Varsity Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall in a press release. “He brings a tremendous work ethic and will be looked upon to provide offence and stability from the back end.”

The 21-year-old defenceman will study psychology at UNB.

“The way UNB approached me during the year really showed me how much class the people that work for the Varsity Reds have,” said LeBlanc. “The desire and ability to win every single year was also something that brought me to choose UNB.”

LeBlanc was a first round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft. He was also seventh-round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2014 NHL Draft but was never signed.

Renewal rate

“We are so pleased with our season ticket renewal rate,” said Ben Zayandehroudi, vice-president of ticket sales and marketing, in a press release.”The response to this year’s early renewal deadline has been tremendous. Season Ticket Members have provided positive feedback on our new, innovative programs as well.

“This puts us on track to increase our season ticket base from last season. We have the best fans in the Q!”

Grant has been playing professional hockey since 2009-10, bouncing between the AHL and East Coast Hockey League. He's put up good offensive numbers in the AHL in recent years and has appeared in a few NHL games with Arizona and Anaheim.

Grant was selected first overall by the Sea Dogs in the 2005 QMJHL Entry Draft and spent three-and-a-half seasons with the club.

Friday, June 30, 2017

Since most hockey followers in this country don't follow European junior leagues, CHL Import Draft picks are usually a mystery. In a press release, Saint John Sea Dogs general manager Trevor Georgie gave some hints at what we can expect from the team's two 2017 picks.

“(Ostap) Safin is an impressive 6-foot-5 offensive winger that handles the puck well and skates well for his size,” Georgie said about the team's first round pick. “He has good offensive instincts and with his frame, he will create room for his teammates. He has a high ceiling that we really like. He gives Danny (Coach Flynn) and the coaching staff another weapon up front.”

Georgie called the team's second pick, Radim Salda, "a well-rounded left defenceman."

“He has good mobility and poise with the puck and will have an opportunity to be a top-four blueliner for us next season.”

"They both look forward to playing together again this upcoming season in Saint John," Georgie added. "We are pleased to have them as part of the Sea Dogs family and Saint John community.”

NHL picks

Safin, a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in this year's NHL Draft, was one of 11 drafted players taken in this year's Import Draft.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Saint John Sea Dogs went big with their first round pick in the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday, selecting 6'5", 191 lbs forward Ostap Safin.

The 18-year-old from the Czech Republic was drafted in the fourth round by the Edmonton Oilers in last weekend's NHL Draft.

Safin has spent his entire career in the Czech Republic, which includes stints with the under-18 and under-17 national teams. He's produced some good offensive numbers over the past couple years, but nothing mind blowing.

Although Safin was a fourth-round pick of the Oilers, most publications had him going higher. He was ranked 98th by HockeyProspect.com, 53rd by ISS Hockey, 40th by Future Considerations, 66th by McKeen's Hockey and 51st by TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Ostap Safin to SNB, big and talented Czech forward. If he had more consistency he would had gone way higher than 115th in the NHL draft

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

SAINT JOHN - The CHL Import Draft, arguably the strangest draft in sports, takes place on Wednesday.

While the Saint John Sea Dogs are not in prime picking location - they own the 53rd and 113th overall picks - it often doesn't matter a whole lot with many picks prearranged. Saint John's picks will come sooner than where they are currently placed because several teams will pass on their picks.

The Sea Dogs plan on using both of their selections in Wednesday's draft, which begins at noon Atlantic time. Defenceman Jakub Zboril is likely to graduate to the professional ranks for this coming season while the status of defenceman Oliver Felixson for 2017-18 is certainly unclear at this point. There's definitely a chance both of Saint John's import spots will be open.

The Sea Dogs haven't had great luck with the Import Draft in recent years with Zboril, who Saint John drafted fifth overall in 2014, turning into the best player. All-time, Saint John has struggled to find impact players when they aren't among the top teams selecting.

Here's who the Sea Dogs have selected in the Import Draft in past years:

Monday, June 26, 2017

As most of you have probably heard, it was not a great 2017 NHL Draft for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Just 14 players were chosen overall with only five of those picks coming in the first two rounds. Only 14 QMJHL players were picked in the 2016 NHL Draft as well, which was a sharp decline from the 30 taken in 2015.

As you can see from the numbers tweeted out by RDS' Stephane Leroux, the QMJHL has become hot and cold in recent years, either having having a very good year or very poor. The 2017 Draft could be another bounce back year for the league, so that's good.

As Lalancette notes, D'Orio was likely the victim of limited playing time and exposure, appearing in just 28 regular season games in 2016-17 - his first QMJHL campaign. D'Orio posted strong numbers in the games in appeared in though, going 19-4 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

D'Orio didn't see action in any playoff games but did appear in Saint John's blowout loss to the Erie Otters at the Memorial Cup.

A Sherbrooke native, D'Orio was selected ninth overall by the Sea Dogs in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. The team opted to keep him in the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League for the 2015-16 season.

Pare was on the bubble to picked in the draft. He was ranked 146th amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, 176th by ISS Hockey and 202nd by HockeyProspect.com.

The 18-year-old played in his first QMJHL season this past year, recording five goals and 11 assists in 64 regular season contests. He added a goal and two assists in 18 playoff games. He also had some strong showings at the Memorial Cup, registering a couple goals in four games.

Pare was a first-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft, but the team opted to keep him in midget AAA for most of the 2015-16 season.

With Pare getting drafted, the Sea Dogs have had at least one player picked in each of the past four NHL drafts.

The first few minutes of the 2017 NHL Draft's first round were big for the QMJHL. Beyond that, it was fairly quiet.

The New Jersey Devils opted to keep the first overall pick and select Halifax Mooseheads forward Nico Hischier. The Devils chose the Swiss star over Brandon Wheat Kings forward Nolan Patrick, who had been ranked first by most draft publications up until a few weeks ago.

Hischier joins a pretty exclusive club of QMJHL players who have been selected first overall.